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The Combined Cadet Force – an essential part of our school lifeBruce Grindlay, Headmaster, Sutton Valence School
In an era when so many young people are engaged in a ‘virtual world’ of computer games and consoles, there has never been a greater need for the values and opportunities delivered by the Combined Cadet Force (CCF).
There has been an unbroken military cadet force tradition at Sutton Valence School since the First World War and the formation of our Officer Training Corps in 1915. After many years with an Army cadet force, an RAF section was formed in 1986 and a Royal Navy section in 1998. Today, more than 40% of our 520 senior school pupils are enrolled in the cadets – 140 in the Army section, and 40 each in the Navy and RAF sections. For us, the CCF works on many levels. While qualities of leadership and dedication can be found on the sports field, in the music department and on the theatre stage, the cadet force provides added levels of self-discipline, the requirement to take activities seriously, and the need to treat others with respect and tolerance, within a hierarchy.
It is a given that schools such as Sutton Valence provide top-quality teaching and support to enable pupils to reach and exceed their academic potential in order to succeed in securing top university places in an increasingly competitive world. Our main focus will always be GCSE and A-level grades. However, we believe passionately that being educated is not just about sitting exams. The opportunities available through being in the CCF add to a pupil’s educational experience, making them well rounded, better educated and better learners. CCF enhances commitment and ultimately exam success as the activities outside the classroom develop key skills necessary to succeed academically and, later in life, in the workforce. It also takes young people safely out of their comfort zone, which often means them challenging and meeting their fears: you can’t, for example, learn to conquer the anxiety of abseiling down a cliff by sitting at a computer. When our pupils commit to the CCF, they understand that it means working as a unit to support each other, but it can also mean additional academic qualifications. For the past eight years, we have run a BTEC level 2 course in Public Services alongside our CCF activities, which equates to four GCSEs. More recently, we have become one of the pioneer cadet forces in the UK to pilot level 3, an A-level equivalent, which counts towards UCAS points for university entrance. Our course leaders have also written a leadership module, of which other CCFs now take advantage. But, of course, it is the sheer excitement and variety of CCF activities that encourage so many of our pupils to join. Who wouldn’t be enthused with activities as diverse as learning platoon attack skills on Field Day, sailing in Dover harbour and visiting serving warship HMS Kent, or learning how to fly in a Grob Tutor training plane? Then there is always the chance to visit overseas countries at an affordable cost. Sutton Valence is the only CCF in the UK to have sent cadets to both Brunei and Belize – experiences they will never forget. The Brunei party – ten boys and five girls – was under the supervision of instructors from the British Army Jungle Warfare Training School, and spent five days learning how to live, eat and sleep in an environment they shared with mangrove snakes, salt-water crocodiles, scorpions and monitor lizards. However, it is not all about having fun! They also commit to helping less fortunate members of their host community. In this case they worked at a school for mentally and physically handicapped children, providing willing hands to maintain buildings and gardens, and helping the children with their studies and play. It was a similar experience for the cadet party that flew to Belize last summer – physically challenging jungle training with forces on the ground, coupled with work at the local Liberty children’s home. In the words of Delfena Mitchell, director of the home, ‘making a difference in the children’s lives’. Charity also, of course, begins at home, and our cadets have forged links with the local Royal British Legion, joining members in their remembrance service at the village war memorial, as well as taking part in an annual night hike to raise funds for St Dunstan’s. It is perhaps this ‘added value’ element of CCF life that appeals to us so much at Sutton Valence. Our cadets are required to put in a significant amount of time and effort beyond day-to-day school life, but their rewards include the acquisition of an extraordinary range of ‘soft skills’ – self-discipline, confidence, determination and leadership – which are so valuable as they go on to tertiary education and adult life. As evidence of this, we have just seen a record number of pupils at the school gain their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award, and every one of them is a member of the CCF. We are justly proud of our community achievements, which are directly attributable to our commitment to the CCF. These include:
Self-discipline, confidence, leadership and opportunity. With these as the prizes to be gained, no wonder Sutton Valence School has almost a century-long commitment to the cadet force. It is a relationship we look forward to developing even further in the future.
 Bruce Grindlay was educated at King’s School, Wimbledon, St George’s Senior School, Vancouver and Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he was a music scholar. He started his teaching career as Assistant Director of Music, Christ’s College, Brecon, before becoming Director of Chapel Music and a boarding Housemaster, Bedford School. In 2001 he moved to Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, West Sussex, as Director of Music, and in 2009 became Headmaster of Sutton Valence School, Kent (founded 1576), an independent (HMC), co-educational boarding and day school. He is married with two children, and his main interests are music, cooking, reading and golf (single-figure handicap). |
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